


atla tumblr ficlets

by SmileHoney



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Getting Together, Lisp Zuko, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Short One Shot, Tumblr Prompt, unrelated short stories
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-12 18:29:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 6,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29888745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmileHoney/pseuds/SmileHoney
Summary: a series of unrelated zukka and jinzula ficlets from tumblr
Relationships: Azula/Jin (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> [prompt list](https://zukosadragon-ace.tumblr.com/post/644293466743046145/prompt-list-5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> zukka
> 
> 27\. I’m going to die. I’m going to die with an absolute idiot.  
> 82\. I finally understand why you call them your arch nemesis... What a dick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there's mentions of guns in this, however they aren't real (specifics in end notes just in case)

“Come on Sokka, you can’t hide forever!” Hahn called out, floating down the hallways with a distinctly smug tone that made the hairs on the back of Sokka’s neck stand upright.

“Shit,” he muttered, pressing himself closer to the wall as he looked to his right and caught Zuko’s eyes. “What’re we supposed to do?”

“I don’t know,” he hissed back, eyes gleaming wildly and his hair spilling out of his ponytail and sticking to his face. Still, he was beautiful, and Sokka had to remind himself that now was _not_ a good time to pull him into a kiss- Hahn wouldn’t stop chasing them just because Sokka wanted to kiss his boyfriend. “We’re cornered.”

He pulled his eyes away from Zuko to look around, taking in the dark room they’d found themselves in. He was right- they were cornered. There was nothing except for a few broken tables, papers scattered on the floor, some file cabinets, and a dirty window with broken blinds. They had pressed themselves against the wall next to the door to hide, but it was only a matter of time before Hahn found them. He sighed, fiddling with the trigger of his gun and wondering what he’d done to deserve this.

“What?” Zuko hissed at his sigh.

“I was just wondering what I did to deserve this- getting stuck with my arch-nemesis hunting us down.”

Zuko stared at him incredulously. “Seriously? Not.... Not a plan? You’re always making plans. How are you not making a plan right now, when our lives actually depend on it?”

“I know, I know. I’m sorry. Uhhh...” he frowned, lost in thought. Suddenly, glancing at one of the file cabinets, his eyes lit up. “I got it! We use the file cabinet to break the window, then we jump out after it and run away!”

His boyfriend stared at him, mystified. “I’m going to die. I’m going to die with an _absolute idiot_!”

“Hey! To quote John Mulaney, I will admit things are getting pretty sticky, but you don’t have to be mean. Besides, what’s wrong with that plan?”

“Sokka... We’re on the sixth floor. We’d be lucky to get away with just a broken leg.”

He frowned. “Oh. Yeah, I kinda forgot about that.”

Zuko rolled his eyes, but he set his hand on top of Sokka’s where it held onto the handle of his weapon. “Okay, what if we-“

He didn’t get the chance to finish before Hahn kicked the door open and stepped into the room with his gun raised and back to them. Without a split second of thought, Zuko broke away from Sokka and launched himself at him, clinging to his back.

“What the fuck?” Hahn cursed, scrabbling to try and get Zuko off of him.

Zuko stayed there though, trying to wrangle his weapon away from him, and Sokka thought he’d never been more in love with him. That thought quickly turned into panic, though, when Hahn swung his free arm forward and slammed his elbow into Zuko’s stomach. Zuko immediately let go, coughing violently as he dropped to the floor, and Hahn used the opportunity to fire directly at his chest. Sokka cried out his name, everything fading away except for the fact that Zuko’s chest was now marked red and he was on the _other side of the room_ instead of by his side. He began running, desperate to get to him.

“No, Sokka!” Zuko yelled, trying to stop him, but it was too late- there was the sound of a trigger being pulled, then a jolt in his chest.

He slid to a stop and looked at Hahn, standing there with his arm raised and pointed directly at him, then down to his chest, where the green circle on his vest had turned to a red x.

“Fuck,” he muttered as Hahn began laughing and the lights came on, the warehouse coming to life once again with laughter and shouts from Hahn’s team.

“Better luck next time, Sokka,” he smirked, clapping his shoulder with the hand not holding his laser gun before leaving through the door he’d kicked open.

Sokka dropped his own laser gun and pulled his vest off before sliding onto his knees next to Zuko, grabbing his hand. “Are you okay, babe? He elbowed you really hard.”

“I’m fine,” he grumbled, blowing hair out of his face in annoyance. “I can finally understand why you call him your arch-nemesis now... What a dick. Who even elbows people in laser tag?”

Sokka burst out laughing and pressed a kiss to his hair. “Yeah, he is. But we’ll get him next time... Right now, let’s just go home.”

Zuko beamed and Sokka helped him to his feet, and they walked out of the laser tag arena with their hands swinging between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> they're playing laser tag, so the guns mentioned are laser tags rather than real guns. it is framed as though they're real up until the end, though


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> jinzula
> 
> 30\. “I can’t talk to cute people, okay? I don’t know how to flirt!”

“Stop laughing, Zuzu,” Azula snapped at her brother, who was leaning against the opposite side of the counter in the Jasmine Dragon, in tears he was laughing so hard. “It’s not funny.”

He wiped at his eyes to stop his tears and looked at her with a smirk. “I mean, it’s a little funny.”

“No, it’s not,” she insisted, frowning as she cleaned the tea cup in her hands with renewed fervor. It wasn’t funny, because they were at work, her heart was still doing all these weird anxious flips after asking him for help with this matter, and Zuko was laughing at her.

“Yes, it is,” he shot back, finally standing up to start wiping down the counter like he was supposed to be. “You are asking me, your gay brother, for help asking out Jin. There’s a little bit of irony here.”

“Zuko, be quiet,” she hissed, eyes flicking around the shop nervously to see if anyone heard him say their coworkers name. She wasn’t necessarily worried about Jin herself, because it was her day off and she therefore had no reason to be here, but the thought of a customer knowing she was pining after the girl... She shuddered.

“Right, I’m sorry. I forgot about your reputation of being unfeeling and calculating,” he teased, though his eyes softened immediately after and he lowered his voice, as if he saw her anxiety. “Anyways, I can try to help, but what makes you think I know anything about asking people out? You yourself have said it, I’m useless.”

She sniffed, gaze firmly on the new tea cup in her hand. “And I stand by that. But... Well, for some reason people like you. Somehow, you managed to get Mai to like you, and Jet, and now Sokka...”

He paused in wiping down the counter to level her with an even gaze. “Yeah but Azula, I didn’t try for those things to happen, they just did. I was just... Myself. Awkwardness and occasional stupidity and all.”

“What, so I should be more like you?” she snorted. “Unlikely.”

“That wasn’t my point Zula, and you know it. My point was that you’re beautiful and smart and have so much to offer, and that you should just talk to her. You’re already best friends, so just throw in some flirting and ask her on a date, and boom.”

She knew he was just trying to reassure you, and that this advice was exactly what she’d asked for, but somehow she still wasn’t satisfied or soothed. She wanted a step by step guide, a clear set of directions, a handbook... Something that kept her from getting in front the very cute girl with bright green eyes and the sweetest smile, who she liked more than she’d ever liked anyone else, and making a fool of herself.

“Zuko, that’s not going to work with her,” she sighed, grabbing another cup with a huff. “You say all of that, but then I go to talk to her and it’s a disaster.”

“Hey, Azula,” he muttered, but she wasn’t done.

“Besides, Jin’s amazing. If this is going to work, it needs to be perfect. ‘Just talking’ to her wouldn’t be perfect.”

“Azula—“

“I would do that, but... I can’t talk to cute girls, okay? I don’t know how to flirt!” she vented, staring at a smudge on the cup she was holding.

He coughed pointedly, and she looked up with a sharp retort on her tongue, only to falter when she saw Zuko was no longer alone. Instead, those same green eyes and smile she’d just been thinking about were staring at her.

“...Hi Jin,” she said awkwardly, setting the tea cup down before she dropped it, thinking about the fact that she’d definitely just heard everything she’d said. “Isn’t it your day off? What are you doing here?”

“Hey, Azula. Yeah, it is. I just... Well, I came to see you, actually.”

Distantly, Azula heard Zuko mutter that he was going to the back, but it was muffled by the thumping of her heart and she paid him no mind.

“Oh,” she murmured, cursing herself for sounding so surprised and... Zuko-like. Just like she’d known would happen, this was a disaster, and her cheeks quickly turned pink. “About what you heard-“

“It’s okay!” Jin interrupted quickly and placed her hand on Azula’s, the touch like electricity. “I have a hard time talking to cute girls too, and I definitely can’t flirt. Especially when it comes to this one coworker I have, with the most amazing eyes and this beautiful smile... And don’t even get me started on how smart she is, or how she brews the best cup of tea I’ve ever had, or how she pretends to be all tough and hides away how caring and loving she is...”

If Azula hadn’t been blushing before, she definitely was by now. “And that’s... That’s me?”

Jin beamed and squeezed her hand- Azula flipped her own so that their fingers were intertwined. “Yeah, Azula, that’s you. I actually came today because I was wondering if you’d like to go on a date with me? No flirting required.”

In her elation- and mild disbelief that this was real- Azula couldn’t stop herself from leaning across the counter to brush a kiss to her cheek. “I’d love to... No flirting required.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> zukka
> 
> 58\. “Oh, my ankle! I think it must be broken!” *wink wink*

“That one couldn’t possibly have counted,” Sokka sighed, bending over to pick up his sword from where it had clattered to the ground. Again. For the tenth time in the row.

“It definitely counted,” Katara called out from where she sat on the wall surrounding the courtyard. “You lost.”

“Yeah, Snoozles, we all saw it. It was fair,” Toph said, walking up to join Katara on the wall.

Which, that was ridiculous for several reasons, the most important of which being that she hadn’t even been around for the sword fight in the first place.

“We all saw it, huh? How was my technique then?” he asked her.

“Sloppy as always,” she shot back playfully, and Katara burst out laughing as she gave her a high five.

He turned to Zuko with an exasperated groan, only to find him laughing too. “Unbelievable. I can’t believe this is what I have to deal with.”

Zuko shrugged with a smirk. “She’s not wrong. It was pretty sloppy.”

He scoffed at his boyfriend, dropping into a ready stance. “Alright, let’s go again then. I’ll show you who’s really sloppy!”

They ran at each other, brandishing their swords, and collided with a hard impact before slipping into the familiar song and dance of sparring. Sokka fought ferociously, trying to wipe that smirk off of Zuko’s unfairly pretty face, but his desperation was showing. Zuko was able to shove him back even quicker this time, forcing him into the corner of the sparring ring.

He frowned when he saw that Zuko had him right at the edge, and gritting his teeth, began fighting even harder. Using all the strength he could muster, he switched to the offensive so that Zuko had no choice but to step back this time, mostly out of surprise.

That surprise faded quickly, though, and as Sokka brought his sword around his head to strike from above, Zuko used one of his to block the blow while the other came down and thwacked his shin, hard.

He hissed in pain, stepping back to get away from Zuko, except he was off balance and lifting his foot only managed to send him crashing to the ground. He landed in a heap on top of his right ankle- not hard enough to hurt, but still he groaned, “Ow, my ankle… I think it’s broken!”

He shot a glance at Zuko, who had sheathed his swords and was looking down at him with an eyebrow raised. He collapsed onto the ground, sending his sword skidding across the courtyard.

Then, for good measure, he added, “I can’t go on any longer, Zuko. Kiss me one last time, good prince, before I surely perish.”

In the background, he heard his sister groan and Toph gag.

Zuko, though, simply rolled his eyes and knelt down. “Who am I to refuse such a handsome knight?”

He leaned down, kissing Sokka soundly, and he hummed happily into it.

When they broke apart, Zuko looked down at him with sparkling eyes and asked, “You’re okay though, right? It doesn’t hurt?”

He laughed lightly. “No, I’m fine. I’m just being dramatic.”

“As usual,” Katara called out rather unhelpfully from behind Zuko.

Sokka lifted his hand and flipped her off in response, to wild cackling from Toph.

“Good. In that case,” Zuko said, standing up quickly and whipping his swords out in a blur, holding them above Sokka, “I win.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> zukka
> 
> 19\. “God, you are so fucking cute.”

Zuko was tired. Really, really tired. The sort of deep tiredness that he could feel in his bones, in the heaviness of his feet, in the consistent fluttering of his eyelids, in the weakness of his muscles… A deep rooted exhaustion that was overpowering, until it was the only thing he knew.

It wasn’t an unusual feeling, especially considering it was the middle of tech week- at this point, after nearly a decade of being a theatre kid, then undergrad student, and now graduate student, the late hours and accompanying exhaustion were familiar. But this show… This show was just in particularly rough shape, so with just two days to opening, their director had been keeping them later and later. Pakku was never a particularly kind director, with little regard for the fact that his students had things like other homework and basic needs like food and sleep, and Zuko never enjoyed working with him.

But as he dragged himself up the stairs to his and Sokka’s apartment at two a.m. for the fourth night in a row, he couldn’t help but find new hatred for the crusty old man.

He let himself into the apartment with a sigh, dropping his backpack by the door and toeing of his shows. It was dark in the main room, but he didn’t bother turning on the light- he didn’t need to, because the light spilling from under his and Sokka’s bedroom door was bright enough to guide his way.

He pushed the door open to find Sokka sitting in their bed with a book open across his lap and his glasses sitting low on his nose, using one hand to flip the pages while the other pet their cat, Foo-Foo, idly. He looked up when Zuko walked in, and smiled softly.

“Hey sunshine,” he greeted quietly, shutting his book and putting it on his bed side. “You okay?”

Zuko just groaned, crawling onto the bed and laying down so that his face was buried in Sokka’s stomach. “I’m tired,” he grumbled.

“I bet… Pakku kept you ridiculously late again tonight, huh?”

His free hand made its way into Zuko’s hair, scratching at his scalp lightly. Zuko sighed and went boneless, relaxing into the touch.

“Yeah. First the sound system wasn’t working, and so Teo had to do a full reboot and run diagnostics to figure out what was going on, which took a long time. And then when he was finally able to get it working again, Ty Lee fell during one of the numbers and skinned her knee pretty bad, so that was a whole thing too. And then he was unhappy with how Jin and Haru were doing a scene, and spent hours on it. Which is ridiculous, because their acting is spot on, as usual, and they have all the lines down. It’s not their fault that Pakku changed his mind about the blocking a week before opening, and now they keep doing the old stuff,” he complained.

“Ugh, that sounds awful, Zu, I’m so sorry. Did you at least get to eat anything for dinner?” He shook his head, and Sokka sighed. “Damn, I hate him. Do you want me to make you anything? Or I can just grab you an orange or something small like that and we can go to bed?”

He shook his head, burying his fingers into Sokka’s shirt to keep him from leaving. “Too tired to eat. I’ll get ready for bed in a minute, I just... Just stay here for a minute with me? You’re comfy.”

“God, you are so fucking cute,” he heard Sokka murmur, body shaking slightly as he chuckled fondly. “Yeah, of course I’ll stay with you, love.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> zukka
> 
> 57\. Heart eyes when the other talks, sings, dances, argues, does literally anything- especially things which others make fun of them for or find annoying

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> zuko with a lisp supremacy :")

When Zuko got rambling on something he liked- something he was really passionate about- he got a lisp. Well, technically he always had a lisp, but years of speech therapy forced on him by his father meant that in normal conversation, he was able to disguise it. But when he got going on a topic he was passionate about- things like art or putting the more bigoted advisors in their place- or was tired, or upset, or on the rare occasion that he sang, he couldn’t hide it.

Sokka knew that Zuko was insecure about it. He could see why, when the advisors leftover from his father’s rule so clearly hated it. They never hid that they saw it as just another weakness of his, just another imperfection in the boy they hated. He knew Zuko tried to hide his passion and enthusiasm so that no one would hear it. He knew Zuko hated it.

He wished he didn’t, though, because Sokka thought it was... Cute? Endearing? Precious? Whatever he thought it was, when he heard Zuko’s lisp, he couldn’t help but melt. Not because of his voice itself, though that was definitely a factor, but because of what came with it. Zuko got this fire in his eyes when he was ranting, something bright and lively that blazed like a thousand suns. His face would become soften and open (unless he was yelling at advisors, in which case it was stormy and angry and a completely different story), his hands would begin waving around, and he’d just... Slip away from being the Fire Lord for a minute, and become Zuko.

It was those moments that reminded Sokka just how gone for him he was.

Today was no exception- they were walking through the palace together on their way to their next meeting, hands brushing occasionally they were so close. Zuko was telling him about the trip to see his uncle he’d just gotten back from and how well Azula was doing, and his enthusiasm was clear in how Azula came out with a soft whistling ‘th’ instead of a hard ‘z’, how he stuttered over Jasmine Dragon ever so slightly, how his face was locked in a carefree smile and his hands gestured freely.

Sokka couldn’t look away or dampen the smile on his face, and he knew that if Zuko were to look over, he’d see all the love and adoration he felt for him clearly written for the world to see.

But Zuko didn’t look over, and Sokka didn’t stop staring- they just continued walking.

As they were rounding the corner, neither of them were paying attention, as absorbed in Zuko’s story as they were, and they didn’t see the group of men walking their way until Zuko had already crashed into one of them.

The man stumbled, spilling the scrolls he was holding, and both Sokka and Zuko dropped to the ground to help pick them up.

“I’m tho thorry,” Zuko exclaimed, head bowed as he scrambled to grab them, his lisp clear. “That wath completely my fault.”

“...No worries, Fire Lord Zuko,” one of the men said, disdain dripping from his words.

Sokka’s heart ached as he realized just who it was, and he glanced at Zuko to see his cheeks burning red as he came to the same realization. General Takashi was the military advisor, an old man who had been very vocal about his disagreement with the end of the war. Since then, he’d continued to fight Zuko on every decision he made, and hadn’t bothered to hide how much he hated the young ruler. Of all the people to hear Zuko’s lisp right now, he was one of the worst.

Sokka opened his mouth to speak for Zuko, but his best friend shook his head minutely. He rose to his feet gracefully, scrolls bundled in his arm, and looked at him evenly, even though Sokka could tell he was panicking slightly.

“General Takathi,” he greeted, before turning to the advisor who’s scrolls he held. “Onthe again, my apologieth. Here are your thcrollth. If you’ll excuthe the ambathador and I, I’m afraid we’re late for a meeting.”

Without waiting for a response, Zuko pushed past them and continued down the hallway.

“Excuse us,” Sokka echoed, following him worriedly.

As they walked away, he heard Takashi say in disdain, “Unbelievable. What sort of Fire Lord can’t even say a general’s name properly?”

Sokka hoped Zuko hadn’t heard it, but when he saw his shoulders tense and his stride lengthen, he knew it was in vein. His heart broke, and as they passed the door to his office, he lunged forward to grab Zuko’s hand and pull him into it.

“Thokka-“ Zuko cut himself off, eyes squeezing shut in annoyance and embarrassment and wrenching his hand away from Sokka. He pretended it didn’t sting as much as it did. “What are you doing? We’re going to be late.”

“They can wait. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“I’m fine. Now let’th- let’th-” he sighed, turning away as he took a deep breath and carefully said, “Let’s go.”

“Zuko, please. You’re not in any condition to run a meeting right now.”

“I’ll have the lithp under control by then, Thokka. It’th fine,” he snapped, lisp coming back with his broken composure.

His heart broke. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

He sighed again. “I know,” he said tiredly, hanging his head. “I know that’th not what you meant. I juth-“ He groaned. “I’m thorry you have to hear thith, I know it’th annoying.”

“No it’s not, Zuko. I promise you, I don’t mind. I sort of... Well, I sort of prefer it?”

“What?” Zuko’s tone was immediately defensive.

“That’s not a good way to describe it. I just meant that when you’re lisping, it’s usually because you’re happy, or talking about something you love. And I like it when you’re happy, because you get all soft and beautiful and I love it because I want you to be happy. So, yeah... I love hearing the lisp.”

“I-“ Zuko turned to him slowly, eyes watering slightly. “Ith that why you were thtaring? You think I’m beautiful?”

Sokka blushed, realizing just what he’d admitted. “Oh. You noticed I said that. And also... that I was staring.”

“Thorta hard not to,” he laughed shakily, taking a step closer to Sokka. “I hoped you felt that way, though.”

“Oh,” he breathed, suddenly understanding and stepping forward so that they’re were just inches apart, eyes searching each others’. “Uh, yeah... It’s... Well. Yes. I do feel that way, and if you feel that way too...”

Zuko rolled his eyes fondly. “Juth kith me, Thokka.”

Sokka had never heard anything sweeter.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> zukka
> 
> 3\. “You’re not hurting me, you’re not heavy. I’ve got you, love.”  
> 46\. “Please don’t say that about yourself. Please don’t believe that. You’re so much more than that. You’re so…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warnings for injuries, blood, talk of death (no actual death though), and zuko with very poor self esteem

“It hurts,” Zuko mumbled thickly as he stared at the ceiling blankly, breathing labored from how much pain he was in.

“I know it does, love. But it’s okay, I’m gonna get you out of here okay?” Sokka whispered through his tears, pressing down on the wound in Zuko’s thigh with his hands to try and staunch the bleeding.

“Don’t wanna move though,” he muttered weakly.

“I know, I’m sorry. But we have to, okay? We can’t stay here, love. No one knows we’re here.”

It had seemed like a good plan at first, to sneak out without telling anyone and try to track down the New Ozai Society themselves after they got a lead. They had tracked their lead to the warehouses down by the docks, except it turned out to be a trap and Ukano and his followers had been waiting for them. They’d taken them on easily, many of the members not used to fighting the way he and Zuko were, and they’d clearly been winning.

Ukano, refusing to accept defeat and risk imprisonment, had ordered his followers to retreat, but not before he managed to get in a lucky slash with his sword that landed on Zuko’s leg. Sokka had been injured during the fight too, but it was really just a few scratches here and there- nothing like the one Zuko had, and he’d run over to him as soon as he’d seen him collapse to the ground.

They’d been in this position for a few minutes now, Zuko unable to get up and Sokka panicking slightly, because what else could he do? They were on the other side of the city from the palace, no one knew where they were, and Zuko was beginning to get woozy from blood loss.

“Just leave me here, Sokka. I’m just going to slow you down.”

“What?” he asked, incredulous. “No. That’s not going to happen, Zuko. Why would I do that?”

“Because it’s my fault,” he murmured, looking at him through unfocused eyes. “If I was a better leader, they wouldn’t be so angry. If I could have figured out how to get through to them, they wouldn’t have felt the need to make a group, and we wouldn’t have had to be fighting them. And if we didn’t have to fight them, you wouldn’t have been injured. At least this way, if you leave me here, I know you’ll be safe.”

“And what about your injury?” he asked, fresh tears pricking at his eyes with Zuko’s words. “You’ve lost a lot of blood, Zuko. If I leave you now and can’t get back in time with help you might die-“

“I deserve it,” he said with a finality that made Sokka’s heart shatter. “I’m a leader. I’m supposed to die for my people.”

“Please don’t say that about yourself,” he sobbed, bending down to press his forehead into Zuko’s chest. “Please don’t believe that. You’re so much more than that. You’re so… You’re not just a leader, Zuko, and you don’t deserve to die like this, especially not now. You’re still a kid, trying to do your best. And you’re so smart and funny and pretty and amazing… You’re my boyfriend, and I love you, and I’m not leaving you, okay?”

He knew it wasn’t very sensical, what he was saying, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. So long as Zuko listened to him, he would be satisfied.

“I- I love you too,” Zuko mumbled, lifting a weak hand to tilt Sokka’s chin towards him. “I love you, Sokka.”

“Then will you let me get you back to the palace?”

“Yeah,” he sighed finally. “Yeah, okay.”

“Thank you,” he murmured in relief, pressing a kiss to Zuko’s chest before standing up and walking around to his other side. “Alright, keep your weight off of that leg, okay? I’m gonna lift you up, so that all you have to do is get your right leg under you to stand up.”

He nodded firmly, and Sokka crouched down to take Zuko’s right arm and drape it around his shoulders. Then he took his own left arm, sliding it around Zuko’s waist, and used his right to help steady Zuko. It took a few tries, a lot of whimpers of pain, and a whole lot of tears, but finally, they managed to get to their feet together.

“Good job, love, I’m so proud of you,” he whispered to Zuko, using his thumb to brush the tears away from his cheeks. “I don’t think you should walk, so I’m going to carry you, alright?”

Zuko sighed, leaning more heavily into him to make it easier. “Alright.”

He pulled away slightly, crouched down, and in one smooth moment swiped Zuko’s legs up and into his side.

“Okay, let’s get you out of here,” he murmured, beginning to walk steadily.

They walked in silence for a while, Yue guiding their way through the cobblestone streets, before Zuko leaned his head against Sokka’s shoulder.

He smiled down at him slightly, chuckling when he saw how tired he looked. “We’re almost there, I promise. Just relax, okay? You’re not hurting me, you’re not heavy… I’ve got you, love.”

Zuko nodded, relaxing slightly as Sokka shifted his grip to bring him closer to his chest. “Thank you, Sokka.”

“Of course, sweetheart. I’d do anything for you, you know that right?”

“Yeah,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to Sokka’s shoulder. “I do.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> zukka (with references to past jetko)
> 
> 9\. “You really thought I was dead?”  
> 16\. “I want you to be happy…even if its not with me.”

Returning to Ba Sing Se after the war always felt distinctly like coming home to Zuko. He loved the Fire Nation, he really did, but there were so many bad memories locked away inside empty rooms and shadows decorating blank walls to ever allow it to feel like home. But in Ba Sing Se, strolling into his uncle’s teashop with Sokka’s hand clasped in his and his crown tossed into the bottom of the bag on his shoulder, those memories and shadows slipped away. Instead, there were warm memories of lazy afternoons serving tea to his uncle and friends and the sounds of bright laughter filling the shop, and he felt like he was home.

“You’re awfully smiley,” Sokka laughed as they approached the Jasmine Dragon. “What’re you thinking about?”

“Just that it feels like I’m home, is all. We haven’t been here in a long time, and it’s... It’s really nice. I don’t know if that sounds crazy, but-“

“No, it doesn’t. I feel it too,” he said warmly. “It’s easier here, somehow.”

Zuko nodded, pressing a kiss to Sokka’s forehead as they crossed the threshold of the shop. His uncle was standing behind the counter, and when he saw them come in his face split into a wide grin.

“Zuko! Sokka!” he exclaimed, rushing towards them. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

He dropped Sokka’s hand to meet his uncle’s embrace, sighing at the familiar smell of jasmine tea that hung around him. “Hi Uncle. I’ve missed you.”

“Me too. It’s been too long.”

“I know, I’m sorry. I just got so busy with work and it was hard to find the time to come visit.”

“It’s okay to take breaks, Zuko. You don’t have to be Fire Lord all the time.”

Zuko wanted to say that wasn’t true- that the Fire Nation still had so far to go and that work couldn’t always wait, and also point out that he was the one to insist Zuko take this job- but before he could Sokka was hugging his uncle and proclaiming, “Yeah, that’s why he has me. To make sure he’s talking a whole bunch of breaks.”

His uncle laughed. “I knew he’d be in good hands.”

“Yeah yeah,” he muttered, though he smiled at Sokka fondly and began walking toward the kitchen, where the stairs leading to his uncle’s apartment were. “Can we just drop our bags off, the come back down?”

“Of course. Although this reminds me I have a new employee, and I think it’s someone you’ll be relieved to see! He’s in the back.”

Zuko furrowed his brow, wondering who he could possibly be talking about considering all the people he would want to see were very much not in Ba Sing Se. Well, except Sokka, but it wasn’t like he was his new employe. Still, he just shrugged and pushed aside the curtain to go into the kitchen- only to stop when he saw a tall figure with shaggy black hair, a persistent stalk of wheat sticking out of his mouth. Suddenly, he felt like he was on the ferry to Ba Sing Se all over again.

Sokka, not noticing that Zuko had stopped, crashed into him. “Zuko, wha-“ He stopped too, staring at Jet with his jaw hanging open. “Jet?”

He looked up them, one eyebrow raised and smirking. “Hey Sokka,” he greeted coolly. “And if it isn’t Lee... Or I guess Fire Lord Zuko, I should say.”

“I- What?” he stuttered, not entirely understanding how, much less why, Jet was in his uncle’s tea shop. The first because last he’d heard Jet was dead, and the second because last he’d checked Jet hated him and his uncle. “What are you doing here?”

“Uh, I work here? I’m the new hire,” he said, crossing his arms and cocking his hip out.

“You- How?” Sokka asked, his face wrinkled in confusion. “At Lake Laogai you died. I mean, you got crushed under the rock and you-“

“Wait,” Jet laughed. “You really thought I was dead?”

Sokka and Zuko shared a confused glance, then looked back to him. “Yes?” Zuko asked. “I mean, we’ve seen Smellerbee and Longshot since then and they never said anything so...”

“Yeah, I told them not too. I needed time after I recovered to figure myself out, and wasn’t sure I could handle seeing any old flames- no pun intended- or enemies,” he said, pointedly sliding his eyes from Zuko to Sokka. “But I didn’t think you’d actually think I was dead… I told Katara I’d be fine. That wasn’t a lie.”

Zuko... Zuko didn’t know what to do. He had spent the past five years feeling so guilty for being the reason Jet ended up in Lake Laogai and blaming himself for his death, that seeing him in front of him brought on an overwhelming onslaught of memories and emotions and confusion. But with it was also a huge sense of relief, and he smiled at him softly.

“I’m really happy to see you, Jet,” he said honestly. “I’m glad you’re alright.”

“Don’t think I’m not still pissed at the fact that you lied to me, or for the pain the Fire Nation has caused me and my friends,” he said evenly, though his mouth ticked up in a smile, the wheat jumping as it did. “But I’m glad to see you too. You look good.”

Zuko rolled his eyes but smiled and leaned into Sokka, who had shifted to stand at his side rather than behind him. Sokka grabbed his hand immediately. “Thanks. There’s a lot that’s happened, recently, and if you were willing to, I’d like to catch up and... Well, I know there’s a lot of history, but maybe we could try to be friends?”

There was a slight twinkle in Jet’s eye as he watched Zuko and Sokka, one that reminded him of sneaking around the ferry and running down the streets of Ba Sing Se, and Zuko knew he’d realized they were together. He didn’t say anything though, just smiled. “Yeah. I’d like that. And you too, Sokka. I think I owe you a few apologies.”

Sokka snorted, though Zuko recognized it as one of begrudging amusement rather than actual anger. “Yeah, whatever man.”

Jet nodded and turned away, apparently satisfied with that, and Zuko tugged on Sokka’s hand to lead him up the stairs.

“So…” Sokka said nonchalantly when they had shut the door to the apartment. “Jet. Your ex. He’s downstairs.”

“Yeah…” he hummed, setting down his bag and turning to grab Sokka’s. “That was not at all what I was expecting, gotta be honest.”

“How do you feel about it?” There was something odd to his tone, something curious but also apprehensive, as if he didn’t really want to know.

He shrugged, stepping into Sokka’s space to pull him into a hug- although Sokka would never say it, he knew his boyfriend. After what happened with the village during the war and then later seeing him die- so they thought- that Jet’s presence had to have shaken him. He wondered if that was why his tone of voice was so odd.

“I don’t know yet. But he seems… He seems alright. Happier than he ever was when we had our thing, at least. And I think maybe… Maybe I’d like to try to be friends with him.”

Sokka hugged him back tightly, nodding thoughtfully. When he spoke, it was careful and deliberate. “If you ever decide you want to date him again, I need you to just tell me, okay?”

He pulled back, staring at him in confusion. “Sokka, what?”

“I mean it! I want you to be happy, even if it’s not with me. So… If you ever decide you’re into him-“

“For spirits sake,” he rolled his eyes lightly, realizing what was up with his tone of voice- he was nervous that now Jet was back, Zuko wouldn’t want to be with him anymore. “Sokka, that’s not going to happen. I love you, and I’m going to keep loving you for the rest of time. I already know that you’re it for me, love. Plus,” he dropped his voice into a conspiratorial whisper, “when I kiss you it doesn’t taste like wheat.”

Sokka laughed, shoulders relaxing. “I love you. And you’re it me, too. I’m sorry for being weird about him, it’s just… I don’t know how to explain it. Seeing him and remembering you had a thing and just... I got jealous, I guess.”

“It’s okay, love, I understand,” he said as he smoothed his palm over Sokka’s cheek, before kissing him softly. “Now, come on. I’m sure Uncle is dying to make us some tea.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> zukka
> 
> 4\. Kissing on sofa, foreheads pressed together, breathy, soft tender.

The apartment was quiet, sunlight streaming in the open windows and a light breeze making the curtains sway gently. It was a peaceful, lazy afternoon, and Sokka couldn’t imagine anything better than this- just laying on the couch, Zuko half on top of him as he used his chest as a pillow.

Sokka pulled Zuko tighter to him and hummed, his heart swelling when Zuko nuzzled closer to him and squeezed him right back with the arm he had draped over his stomach.

“What?” Zuko mumbled with his eyes shut, words muffled by how his cheek pressed into Sokka’s chest.

“Nothing. This is just really nice. We never get to just… Be lazy like this, you know?”

Zuko’s eyes slid open and he turned his head so that he could see Sokka, resting his chin on his sternum. “Yeah, it is,” he said with a soft smile.

Sokka rubbed his thumb into Zuko’s right arm lightly, not speaking, just smiling at him and trying to put every ounce of love he felt into it. When he smiled even harder and his eyes fluttered shut, Sokka knew he had seen it.

A second later, Zuko was shifting fluidly to prop himself up on his elbow and lean forward until his face was hovering over Sokka’s.

Sokka swallowed and said quietly, “Hey, baby.”

“Hi, love.” Zuko’s reponse was little more than an exhale, his lips parting slightly as he looked down at Sokka with shining eyes.

They stayed frozen, time slipping away as they just gazed at each other, faces so close together that they could feel each other’s breath skating across their cheeks. A strand of Zuko’s hair had come loose from his bun and now hung in front of his face, so with slow, delicate movements- as if anything else would shatter the moment- Sokka reached up and pushed it back behind his ear.

Rather than remove his hand from Zuko’s face after though, he let it rest there so that he could brush his thumb across his cheekbone gently. Zuko let out a shuddering breath, and ducked down to kiss him, slow and sweet and lazy and so full of love that Sokka’s heart ached.

When Zuko finally went to gently pull away after what could have been minutes or hours, Sokka followed him and captured his mouth in another plying kiss- nothing more than just the press of their lips together, but it still left him breathless. Zuko, apparently determined to steal all the air from his lungs, kissed him chastely twice more before pressing his forehead to Sokka’s.

“I love you, Sokka,” he murmured softly.

“And I love you, Zuko,” he responded back, eyes staying shut.

They stayed there, breath mingling in the small space between them and the sun casting its warm rays across their legs, and Sokka _knew_ it would never get better then this.

**Author's Note:**

> check out my tumblr! ([@zukosadragon-ace](https://zukosadragon-ace.tumblr.com/))


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